Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Isaiah 29-33
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Matthew 7:24-27
Jesus: Those people who are listening to Me, those people who hear what I say and live according to My teachings—you are like a wise man who built his house on a rock, on a firm foundation. When storms hit, rain pounded down and waters rose, levies broke and winds beat all the walls of that house. But the house did not fall because it was built upon rock. Those of you who are listening and do not hear—you are like a fool who builds a house on sand. When a storm comes to his house, what will happen? The rain will fall, the waters will rise, the wind will blow, and his house will collapse with a great crash.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
A few weeks ago floods tore through the midwest again. The Mississippi River overflowed its banks and the same little town that routinely finds itself ravaged by those floodwaters found itself ravaged again. I sometimes wonder about the intelligence of the people that live in that little town. Year after year, the Mississippi floods when the rains hit the countrysides upstream. Rains don’t necessarily hit that town, but all through the midwest, melting snow and spring rains fill the tributaries that feed the Mississippi and invariably that little town hits the national news.
So why do the people stay there? When I hear the name of the town on the news every year, I think about Jesus’ words to the crowd on the mountainside. When a storm comes, the rain falls, the waters rise, the wind blows, and his house will collapse with a great clash. That’s what I think about as I see the houses float down the Mississippi after the floods rip them from their foundation in the spring and autumn rains. You would think people would look at the maps and quit building in the floodplain, wouldn’t you? But next year, guess what we’ll see on the news. Yep. Rescuers will be pulling someone from a rooftop or out of a tree because they built back in the same place and the Mississippi will overflow its banks and they’ll feel the power of the floodwaters as their house disappears in the torrent.
Jesus describes two kinds of people using the metaphor. The foolish are like those I just describe. We don’t understand why they keep building in the same spot just to be washed away year after year. Yet look at how many people return to their sin day after day realizing the penalty for sin is death. A payday is coming. We have the published wages clear for all to see. Evidence of the ruin sin brings to life is everywhere. Families destroyed. Relationships ruined. Self set above all else. When self reigns, the collapse is great.
Jesus tells us the opposite is true of those who listen to and live by His teachings. Their foundations are firm. They are like those who build their houses on foundations that stand up to the storm. They make good decisions on where to build in the first place. They don’t continue to build in the floodplain and when they build, they build on a solid foundation that will withstand the storms of life that come our way. Storms will come. Life happens. We all face trials that test our faith and make us wonder why God would allow things to happen the way they do.
But God isn’t to blame for the bad that happens to us. Sin entered the world and set in motion the consequences of man’s fall. Death. These events are not God’s plan, but the consequences of mankind’s doing. And so, natural consequences fall on the just and unjust. Rain falls on all of us. Storms hit all of us. Natural events happen to all of us. Evil strikes all of us. But when we follow the principles and precepts God lays out for us and honor Him as God, we build our lives on a solid foundation of trust and respect for Him and for others. We put priorities in the right place. We lean on God for the solutions to our problems and His word gives us the concepts we need to find those solutions.
We won’t be exempt form the storms of life, but we will weather them. We won’t go through life without trouble, in fact, Jesus promised we would have trouble in this world. But when we follow His teachings, we will overcome, just as He overcame. Becaue we will let Him reign in our lives. That’s His teaching. He wants to be Lord of our lives. Not just another teacher, another voice, but Lord. Director. Guide. Everything.
When our lives are built on Christ as the foundation. We can handle anything that comes along. Will it always be easy? No. Life isn’t easy. Nor is it always fair. But we can handle it because He is on our side. He doesn’t leave us to walk the journey alone. He will go with us and help us through every storm. We can anchor ourself to Him and make it through the toughest situations. Turn your life over to Him. Build on Him as the foundation of your life. You’ll be glad you did.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.